Filing for Disability in Oregon

Information on Social Security disability and SSI, as well as the OSIPM payment for special needs.

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The application for disability in Oregon starts at the Social
Security Administration (for both SSDI and SSI), but then is handled by a
state agency. Here is information on the disability process in Oregon,
as well as state-specific statistics and resources.

Disability Statistics in Oregon

According to the SSA, for all initial disability claims
filed in Oregon in 2011 (SSDI ad SSI), the percentage of claims that
were approved was 36%. Over 63% of claims were denied. For the first
four months of 2012, the average allowance rate for all initial
disability claims filed in Oregon was 38%.

Stage
of Application

Oregon

Nationally

Initial Application

36%

32.1%

Reconsideration Review

12.7%

11.3%

Appeal Hearing

47%

58.3%

Hearing Wait Time

480 days

349 days

The initial disability determination for SSDI and SSI claims in Oregon is made by Oregon Disability Determination Services. If you want to talk about your claim with a claims examiner (for instance, to check the status of the claim), here is the agency's contact information.

Disability Determination Services

3150 Lancaster Drive, NE Salem, Oregon 97305-1350800-452-2147

Reconsideration Required to Appeal in Oregon

When the SSA mails you a denial letter, you have to ask the SSA for a reconsideration
of the decision before you are allowed to get a hearing in front of a
administrative law judge. For all reconsideration requests filed in
Oregon in 2011, the average percentage of claims that were allowed upon
reconsideration was 11%. For the first four months of 2012, the average
allowance rate for all reconsideration requests filed in Oregon was
12.7%.

Disability Hearings in Oregon

If you disagree with
the reconsideration decision, you can request a hearing before an
administrative law judge (ALJ). The Office of Disability Adjudication
and Review (ODAR)
is in charge of disability appeals at the ALJ hearing level as well as
at the Disability Appeals Council level, which is the appeals level
after the ALJ hearing. For more information about hearings, see our
articles on ALJ hearings.

Oregon
is in ODAR Region 10, which is based in Seattle. Region 10 does have
two offices in Oregon, so if you filed your disability claim in Oregon
and are at the ALJ hearing level of appeals, your hearing will most
likely be held in one of the two Oregon locations listed below.

In
the two ODAR offices located in Oregon, the average length of time a
person filing a hearing request will have to wait for a hearing is 16
months. There are many different ALJs who work in the Oregon ODAR
offices, and each one has different approval and denial records. On
average, however, ALJs in Oregon approve around 47% of disability cases
and deny around 37% of disability cases.

ODAR Locations

If
the local Social Security office you have been working with is in:
Chiloquin; Christmas Valley; the I-5 corridor from Salem, OR to Weed,
CA; Klamath Falls; La Pine; Lakeview; Madras; Medford; the Oregon Coast
from Depoe Bay to Gold Beach; Prineville; Redmond; or Sisters, your ODAR
office is:

Oregon Supplemental Income Program

If
you are receiving SSI and fit into one of several “special needs”
categories, you may be eligible for additional state payments. These
payments fall under a Medicaid program called OSIPM (Oregon Supplemental
Income Program – Medical) that is administered by the Oregon Department
of Human Services (DHS). These payments can assist you with things like
limited home repairs to remove a physical hazard and costs of
transportation to medical appointments.

However, Oregon no longer
adds a state “supplementary payment” onto the federal monthly SSI.
Therefore the amount SSI recipients receive in Oregon is $698. If you
have questions about applying for SSI in Oregon or about supplemental
payments, you can contact the Seniors and People with Disabilities
Division of DHS at:

Oregon Rehabilitation Services

The
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (OVRS) is part of the
Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). OVRS assists people with
disabilities with counseling, job training, placement, and assistive
technology services. OVRS has offices throughout the state; for the one
closest to you, visit the OVRS website.

Oregon Disability Lawyers

If
you've been denied disability benefits and want to hire a disability
attorney to represent you in your disability hearing, visit our Oregon disability lawyer page to find an attorney.